SACRED FEMININE | AROUND THE TABLE
As we conclude this series on the divine feminine, the Open Table wanted to take an opportunity to let everyone delve deeper into the major themes covered throughout. For this evening, people at the gathering chose one major theme and take a second look in roundtable discussions. Various leaders within our community took the helm and facilitated these conversations.
Choices were:
Purity Culture/ Cult of Perfection – looking at aspects of perfectionism and purity and the binding nature it holds on our images of women.
Sexuality/Gender Binary – Looking at sexuality and gender identity as a created construct and holding that both are more fluid rather than set in either/or paradigms.
Stress Relief Rituals – Actual rituals led by Mama Hakima including movement and dance.
Family Systems – Looking at ways our the power structure of our own family systems affect our understanding and views of the world around us.
Patriarchal Masculinity – a look at toxic masculinity and its pervasive nature.
Native Ecology – a look at Native American views of and understanding the world as it starts with radical self love.
God as Mother in self-directed meditations
Reading through these options, here are some questions for reflection on the overarching ideas and the divine feminine.
What are our and God’s stories?
What narrative is the Sacred Feminine calling us to build? For ourselves? Our communities? What does that look and sound like?
By using our voices/power/influence, how might we seek to break through the distorted narratives? How can we disrupt these narratives with better ones? What do you/we need to be able to do this?
Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype
by Clarissa Penkola Estes
I hope you will go out and let stories,
that is life, happen to you,
and that you will work with these stories
water them with your blood and tears
and your laughter till they bloom,
till you yourself burst into bloom.
